Method of constructing storage-receptacles



R. E. BAKER.

METHO'D 0F CONSTRUCTING STORAGE RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION man APR. 8. 1918.

1,338,484, Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- RaZezz ZBa/Ze? M M K H6. /4. I By R. E. BAKER.

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTIN-G STORAGE BECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR-8, I918.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- R. E. BAKER.

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING STORAGE RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR-8,1918.

Patented Apr. 27; 1920.

ZZOZeTJ? Bah? M Q 6W ///5 ATTHORIVEY-S UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. BAKEmor cLnvEiJAnn, onio.

' METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING STOBAGE-RECEPTACLES.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Original application filed February 2, 1916, Serial No. 75,678. Dividedand this application filed April 8,

I 1918. Serial No. 227,291.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT E. BAKER, a

citizen of the United States, resident of. Cleveland, county ofCuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Tmprovementsin .Methods of Construct ng Storage-Receptacles, of which the follow ngis a specification, the principle of the invention being hereinexplained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying thatprinciple, so as to distinguish 1t from other inventions.

My invention relates to storage tanks and particularly to methods ofconstructing cylindrical tanks. The subject-matter of this invention hasbeen divided out from my pending application for United States LettersPatent, Serial No. 7 5,67 8 filed February 2 1916..

In the storage of bulk materials, particularly coal, itis a well knownfact that cylindrical tank's,:although having the disad vantage of notpermitting complete discharge of their contents, are the least expensiveform of' construction per un1t of materials stored. Cylindrical steeltanks are employed, under present practice, having a relatively highresistance to abrasion and can, therefore, be employed to good advantagewhere abrasive materlals are to be stored. Steel, however, is,objectionable for use in tanks intended for the storage of any materialscontaining moisture, and particularly so wheresuch moisture is apt to beslightly acidulous as in the case of such materials as bituminous coal,because under these conditions steel corrodes rapidly. This is true tosuch an extent that in many instances wherea steel tank construction isprovided, it has been found necessaryor desirable to provide an innerlining of concrete. In such cases, therefore, the cost of constructionis l'argelyincreased, inasmuch is to provide inner and outer cylindricalforms, between which is placed the necessary reinforcement, say of bentrods, for giving the necessary tensile strength to the concrete, and thelatter I poured between said forms which are placed a distance apartrequired to give the neces sary thickness which varies with the depth ofthe tank. Under these circumstances, the cost of construction issomewhat in excess of a tank made of steel alone. The object of myinvention, therefore, is to provide a cylindrical containing member ofconcrete without resorting to the use of complicated forms and whichshall be reinforced by tension. rods which are not incorporated with theconcrete but which are binding members positioned upon the exteriorsurface of the tank.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detailcertain means illustrating one of the various mechanical forms in whichthe principle of my invention may be employed. The descriptionfurthermore sets forth certain steps for carrying out my improvedmethod, such steps, however, constituting but one of various ways inwhich the principle of the method may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

Figure 1 represents a plan view of a storage tank, with parts brokenaway and showing said tank in partially completed form, constructedaccording to the principle of my improved method; Fig. 2 represents avertical axialsection of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3represents a horizontal section of one of the uprights and Fig. i afragmentary side view thereof; Fig. 5 represents a horizontal. sectionof one of the uprights, showing a fragmentary portion of one of thebinding hoops or rods mounted thereon, and Fig. 6 represents afragmentary side elevation of the same; Figs. 7 and S represent ahorizontal-section and side elevation,

respectively, of the parts shown in Fig. 5, to which has been attachedsuitable sheathing; Figs.- 9 and 10 represent,respectively, viewssimilar to those of Figs. 7 and 8, to which has been attached suitablemetal lathing; Fig. 11 represents a horizontal section of a fragmentaryportion of the completed tank, and Fig. 12 represents a vertical sectionof a fragmentary portion thereof; Fig. 13 represents a plan view of theends of one of the steel hoops or binding rods connected by means of abinding lug; and Fig. let represents a detail showing the method ofanchoring the lower portion of the tank to the base or foundation.

Referring now to the illustrated embodiment of a tank constructed inaccordance With my improved method, I first provide a suitable base 1 ofconcrete. This base may be placed in any suitable position, eitherelevated or not as circumstances may require. It will be understood thatmy method of construction covers only the design of the cylindricalcontaining structure and has no reference to the method of constructionof the tank bottom or roof. For example, the tank might be constructedat ground level upon a fiat concrete base or might be constructed upon aflat concrete base supported by concrete columns. Similarly, it would bepossible to provide a conical steel plate bottom, having a flanged lipat the upper edge, which lip would form the support for the cylindricalvertical structure. Upon the base 1, I erect a series of verticaluprights 2, these uprights being placed to coincide with the radii of acircle and their inner faces coinciding with the outer surface of acylinder having a diameter equal to the outer diameter of the tensionbinding members or hoops which, as will be hereinafter explained, bindand form the tension members for the completed tank. These uprights 2are secured to each other by cross pieces 3 and by radially placedtimbers l, the'outer ends of the latter of which are secured to theupper ends, respectively, of the members 2 and the inner ends of whichare secured to a circular piece 5 secured to a vertical center post 6formed of steel or wood. The uprights 2 are placed at equal distancesfrom each other, usually about four feet apart. The bottom of eachupright 2 is secured to the concrete base 1 by means of an angle piece7, one leg of which is bolted to the concrete base, as shown in Figs. 4,6, 8 and 10, and the other leg of which is bolted to the lower part ofthe upright 2. It will thus be seen that by means of the cross members3, the timbers 4 and the angle pieces 7, the uprights 2 are heldsecurely in place. This above described structure is a simple andeconomical form within the space defined by which a cylindricalcontaining member is formed by my improved method, as will nowbedescribed.

Steel rods or strips 8 are bent in such a manner as to form rings orhoops of the required diameter, the latter being such that the outsidediameter of the hoops will be equal to the distance betweendiametrically opposed uprights 2. The ends of these rods or strips 8 aresecured in any suitable manner and preferably by means of a binder lugsuch as is shown in Fig. 13. It will be evident that several rods orstrips 8 may be used to make one complete hoop, the ends of these rodsbeing joined by the requisite number of binder lugs. These binding hoopsS are then positioned horizontally upon the uprights 2, as plainly shownin Fig. 2, and are supported thereon in any suitable manner as, forinstance, by means of ordinary nails 9, plainly shown in Fig. 6. The required number of tension binding members,

8 are thus placed and they are spaced vertically the required distancesapart, such distances being previously determined, the distance beingthe smallest at the bottom and increasing gradually toward the top, asis common and accepted practice.

Next, there is attached to the inner surface of the positioned rods 8suitable sheathing, preferably but not necessarily, formed of sheetmetal plates 10. These plates 10 are of proper thickness and weight andmight be made of flat steel. I find it preferable, however, to usecorrugated sheet steel plates and to use such plates .as are providedwith a protective coating of asphaltum, asbestos or similar material torender them proof against corrosion.

The employment of a corrugated or deformed sheet is preferable from astandpoint of economy in that it renders them rigid vertically. Thesesheets are ordinarily received from the maker of corrugated iron in flatsections but they are readily bent by hand during erection. During sucherection they are placed upon the inside of the rod circles andcompressed by hand against same until they assume the proper curvatureto fit against the rods at all points. These sheets are then secured tothe rods in any suitable manner and one convenient way of so securingthem is to punch holes in the sheets adjacent to these rods throughwhich short pieces of wire 11, Fig. 8, may be passed and tied upon theinside.

After the entire interior of the surfaces of the rods 8 has been soprovided with the sheathing 10, the entire inner surface of saidsheathing is provided with a lathing 10 of any suitable character suchas wire mesh, metal lath or expanded metal, and this lathing may besecured conveniently by means of the same short pieces of wire 11 whichare used to secure the sheathing 10, as plainly shown in Fig. 10. Afterthe lathing 10 has been applied and secured as thus described, aconcrete facing 12 is formed upon said sheathing 10 of the requiredthickness, such facing, as well as the sheathing and lathing extendingto the bottom and in contact with the base 1, as plainly shown in Fig.12.

are equal in number to the number of angle pieces 7 and are placeddirectly opposite the bolts which secure these angle pieces 7 to theconcrete base 1. After the concrete 12 has properly set, the uprights 2and their attached parts, all of which form a temporary scaffolding orform, are removed, the angle pieces 7 are loosened from the base 1 byloosening the ends of the bolts which held them thereto and are turnedaround ninety degrees (90) so as to engage the outer ends of the bolts13, the bolt hole of the upper or vertical leg of these angle piecesbeing slotted for this purpose, as

shown in Fig. 4. ,These angle plates 7 therefore, securely anchor thelower end of the lateral wall structure of the tank to the base. Ifdesired, a steel angle section 14 bent to a circle may be fitted to thetop of the tank wall, as shown in Fig. 2, which in addition toreinforcing said top will also form a support for any roof structureWhich it may be desired to place thereon. Instead of the angle piece 7being used to anchor the structure to the base, a steel angle bent to acircle may be also employed for this purpose and bolted to the base andto the bottom of the lateral wall, respectively, as will be readilyunderstood.

In the manner above described I form a tank construction of acylindrical character, having a concrete lining constructed withoutforms and without integral reinforcement. I have also provided thenecessary binding and tension members exteriorly of the concrete tank.The structure is one economically erected from the standpoint ofcharacter of materials used and labor of construction and embodies allof the physical characteristics required of this type of container.

What I claim is:

1. The method of constructing storage tanks, which consists, in erectingupon a suitable base a temporary support defining a cylindrical space;positioning on the inner face of said support and above said base aplurality of binding tension rods; securing a suitable sheathing to theinside surface of such rods; forming upon the inside of the spacedefined by such sheathing a concrete facing, secured .to the latter andresting upon said base; and then removing said temporary support.

2. The method of constructing storage tanks, which consists, in erectingupon a suitable base a temporary support defining a cylindrical space;positioning on the inner face of said support and above said base aplurality of spaced binding tension rods; securing corrugated metalsheathing to the inside surface of such rods; securing a suitable wiremesh to the inside surface of said sheathing; forming a concrete facingupon the inside of the space defined by said corrugated sheathing andresting upon such base; and; then removing the temporary support.

Signed by me this 20th day of March,

ROBERT E. BAKER.

